Does Natchez have a self-image problem? That may seem like a strange question for the area that is often thought of as pretentious, showy or even snobby to folks in other parts of our state.

However, if we’re honest with ourselves, who can blame other Mississippians for being a bit jealous?

Natchez is known for its beauty, its history and its old money.

Folks up the road in Vicksburg have probably never fully forgotten how vastly different each city’s Civil War saga played out.

Most of us know the high spots of the stories — Vicksburg was held hostage under a tremendous siege while Natchez, considered less important strategically, perhaps, was left virtually untouched.

Once the 18-year-old belle of the ball, Natchez was the envy of the state. The city in its heyday was literally rolling in money. Prior to the war, reportedly, Natchez had more millionaires per capita than New York City.

Today, however, the perception others seem to have about Natchez can be vastly different than what we think of ourselves.

A couple of weeks ago, two 50-mile experts came to town to lead the Your Town workshop for community leaders. As that session began, the experts provided a glimpse at the demographics of our area compared to other parts of our state.

At one point, one of the experts said something along the lines of: “Your area really has much more in common demographically to the Mississippi Delta than any other area in the state.”

A barely perceptible gasp was heard across the room.

Was it actually possible that the once-proud belle of the ball was in some ways compared to a farmer’s daughter suddenly?

No disrespect meant to the Delta folks, but it was a shock for some people.

Perhaps, though, it was an important realization. It was a look in the mirror in a way, at least demographically.

Perhaps that slight shock that comes from looking in the mirror and realizing that you’ve looked better may be the dose of medicine necessary to do something about it.

But rather than making the community feel bad about our few wrinkles, hopefully the realization that we’re not perfect may give our community the opportunity to start working on a slight makeover.

Our wrinkles and other flaws are well known and the same Your Town session identified several areas upon which to improve.

Those included everything from the education system to cleaning up the community’s corridors and from organizational development to tourism.

Unlike some places — which are truly homely places — Natchez is in a much better position. Natchez has “good bones,” and with a little bit of care and attention to detail, the city could truly reach its maximum beauty.

The Your Town project — like the First Impressions project from a couple of years ago — held a mirror up to our community to help show what others see in the community.

The good news is that if the image in the mirror isn’t pleasing to us, we have the power to change it.

Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.